News

Youth United Newsletter
To download January's Newsletter from Eliza Riley, Youth Leadership and Outreach Coordinator, click here:
Letter as PDF click HERE
Letter as TEXT click HERE

Stepping Stones (Community Reintegration Peer-Mentoring Program) Curriculum Now Available
If you are an Independent Living Center (ILC) or other organization working on community reintegration in California, SVILC has developed a revised version of the Stepping Stones Curriculum that can help. For more information and to download the materials, please click HERE.

SVILC's Youth Curriculum Available

If you are an Independent Living Center (ILC) educator or community member who wants to educate and inform students about disability history and culture, SVILC has developed a revised version of Access Living's award-winning Y.I.E.L.D (Youth for Integration through Education, Leadership, and Discovery) The Power to the Youth Project curriculum that you can use to facilitate the training in your organization and classroom. For more information and to download the materials, please click HERE.

2nd Annual West Coast Disabilty Pride Parade & Festival Video

Donate Your Vehicle While Helping SVILC
Get a tax deduction while financially supporting the programs and services provided by SVILC for people with disabilities in Santa Clara County. Please tell all your friends and family about our vehicle donation program! Your vehicle or boat doesn't have to be operational. They will pick it up at your home.

Our vehicle donation program is made possible through our partnership with Donate For Charity. When you are ready to donate your vehicle, you may call Donate For Charity toll-free at (866) 392-4483 or donate on-line at their website: www.donateforcharity.com

For more informaton click HERE.

Reserve your 2012 SVILC Disabled and Proud Calendar today!

We are making the finishing touches on our 2012 calendar. This year's calendar will focus on deinstitutionalization: disabled peoples' civil right to live in the community of their choice and not in nursing homes or institutions, as stated in the Olmstead Decision.

A suggested donation of $10 is being requested for a calendar. To reserve yours today, click RESERVE CALENDAR. Don't miss out! Quantities are limited.

Once you reserve your calendar(s) we will email you instructions on how to donate and when you can expect to receive your order.

Events

Braille Boot Camp- Feb. 7-9
Introduction to Reading Braille, taught by Gaeir Dietrich of the High Tech Center Training Unit (HTCTU) of the California Community Colleges, is a three full day intensive training designed to teach sighted participants to read and write Grade One (uncontracted) Braille and read Grade Two (contracted braille) Braille. Our goal is to promote braille literacy, provide initial training to those working with braille users, and inspire further study of the braille code. Please consider Braille Boot Camp if you are a parent or family member of a child with a visual impairment, if you work with a braille reader in school, if you create alternate format materials, or if you’re just curious about braille! Come join us and find out how this training came to affectionately be known as “Braille Boot Camp!”

One-Day Option!
Can’t attend all three days? We understand. Attend one day only, Tuesday, February 7, for an introduction to the braille alphabet.

WHEN:
Tuesday, February 7, 9:00-4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 8, 9:00-4:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 9, 9:00-3:00 p.m.

For more information or to register, please contact Kathy Romero at SVILC:KathyR@svilc.org   or   408-894-9041 ext. 216
We regret child care will not be provided.
Space is limited; please RSVP ASAP.

To download the PDF flyer click HERE
To download the text only flyer click HERE

Note: SVILC practices ACCESS for ALL. Please contact us within 3 business days of the event date for accessibility or accommodation requests. Also, these are scent-free events. Please refrain from wearing scented products.

Workers' Rights Clinic- Feb 28.
SVILC and the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center are proud to offer FREE legal advice clinic on Workers' Rights, Workers' Comp., Social Security Benefits and Housing which assists individuals withe issues such as:

Employer's failure to pay wadges or overtime, provide lunch and rest breaks

Discrimination, Unemployment and SSI benefits

Housing disputes, deposit return, etc.

REGISTER IN ADVANCE to join us at SVILC from 5:30 to 8:30 PM on one of these dates: Feb. 28, 2012 or June 12, 2012

Please call KGACLC to schedule an appointment for the clinic or call 711 and give the Relay Operator this number (408)288-7030 or email m2rodriguez@scu.edu.

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 or June 12, 2012 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at SVILC

For more information download a flyer:
For the Feb. 28 PDF flyer click HERE
For the Feb. 28 text only flyer click HERE
For the June 12 PDF flyer click HERE
For the June 12 text only flyer click HERE

SVILC is excited to start a new series of youth leadership classes!

Times available are:
2/21/12 – 4/12/12 or 5/7/12 – 6/28/12 or 8/07/12 – 9/27/12
Classes take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings 5:30-7:30
Location: Silicon Valley Independent Living Center 2202 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95131

Click HERE to download the flyer as PDF
Cleck HERE to download the flyer as TEXT

For more information, to RSVP by phone, or request an accommodation (at least 48 hours before the event please), call Eliza Riley at 408.894.9041 ext. 220 or TTY: 866.945.2205.

To apply to SVILC's Youth United Leadership Program click HERE.

ALSO SAVE THE DATE: The next Youth Day will be Saturday, Jan. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Click HERE to download the flyer as PDF
Cleck HERE to download the flyer as TEXT

Join the Independent Living Movement Today!

Disabled & Proud T-shirts are available!
Get your Disabled & Proud t-shirts are available for a donation of $20. The sizes available are small, medium, large, XL, and 2XL, 3XL, 4XL. Quantities are limited. Email Jody Yarborough HERE if you would like a T-shirt today!

Take Action!

Participate in a community accessibility survey
Disability Rights Advocates ("DRA"), a non-profit legal center, is
investigating complaints throughout California regarding barriers that
people with mobility impairments and people who are blind or low vision
have encountered at areas of construction or other work zones along
pedestrian routes.
For more information:
To download the PDF flyer click HERE
To download the text only flyer click HERE

IHSS cuts
On January 19th, Federal judge Claudia Wilken issued a preliminary injunction against the Brown administration’s proposed 20 percent IHSS cuts. This means that the state MAY NOT cut your IHSS benefits as long as the injunction is in effect! We invite you to stay up to date here at www.svilc.org, however, as there will be another court hearing in a few months and the injunction could be lifted then.

Advocacy

My Medi-Cal Matters
Write your own letter and let your voice be heard to lawmakers that cuts to essential services like Medi-Cal should not happen!

Send to: Herb Schultz
Regional Director, Region IX
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
90 Seventh Street, Ste. 5-100
San Francisco, CA 94103

To see the letter SVILC ED Sarah Triano sent, click here:
Letter as PDF click HERE
Letter as TEXT click HERE

Thanks to all who helped us raise $25,000 for our Youth United Program
With the same passion of its grassroots advocacy and social justice campaigns, Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC) successfully raised $25,000 for a matching grant awarded to SVILC by the Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation on July 1, 2011. In total, the $50,000 means that SVILC will be able to continue to operate its Youth United Leadership Program for youth with disabilities.

SVILC statement opposing the practice of simulation exercises
SVILC does not endorse the practice of simulation exercises. To find out why, read our position statement. Click a link below to download a copy of the statement.

Statement as PDF click HERE
Statement as TEXT click HERE

Support the Paul Longmore Amendment
Click HERE to sign the Paul Longmore Amendment Petition today!

Attention IHSS Recipients: Pending Budget Trigger Cuts will most likely occur
Because of the lack of State revenue, proposed trigger cuts will most likely happen at the end of the year. If you receive IHSS is important that you become aware of the cuts, calculate your needed hours and prepare to submit a Supplemental Care Application. To review a fact sheet with more information click one of the following links.

To download the PDF flyer click HERE
To download the text only flyer click HERE

Attention IHSS Recipients: New Eligibility Certification Requirement
Starting August 1, 2011, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) recipients and applicants must have a licensed health care professional provide a medical certification of their need for IHSS.

• Most new applicants will need to submit the medical certification before they can receive IHSS.
• Current IHSS recipients will need to submit the medical certification around the time of their reassessments.

The medical certification form is called SOC 873. Your county will provide you with the form. To download a PDF, SOC873 certification form, click HERE

Click HERE to go to a comprehensive fact sheet on the new rules provided by Disability Rights California.

(Courtesy of Disability Rights California)

Race and Disability Resource Information Available for Download

Terminology (download by clicking link below)

Word Doc

Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies (download by clicking link below)

Word Doc, Accessible PDF

Source: Paul Kivel
Educator, Activist, and Writer
Books & other tools for social justice work:
http://paulkivel.com/
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